Steelers Re-Sign Michael Palmer
The Steelers have added some depth at the tight end position by re-signing Michael Palmer, according to Burt Lauten, the team’s PR man (Twitter link). Palmer inked a one-year deal to remain in Pittsburgh.
Palmer, 26, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons before joining the Steelers for 2013. In Atlanta, he made a handful of catches per season, but he hauled in just one pass for eight yards in Pittsburgh, spending most of his 49 offensive snaps playing as a blocker. The Clemson product also contributed on special teams, making a pair of tackles in coverage.
Terms of the deal weren’t announced, but it’ll certainly be a minimum salary benefit contract for Palmer.
FA Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Ihedigbo, Underwood
When the Titans released Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, there was an expectation that it wouldn’t take long for the veteran quarterback to find work. Fitzpatrick remains on the market, but at least one potential suitor has emerged. According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link), Tennessee’s division rivals, the Texans, are hosting Fitzpatrick for a visit today.
Let’s round up a few more Thursday odds and ends related to the free agents still available….
- According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter), center Brian De La Puente finished his visit in Washington and is still considering multiple options, including the Redskins and Saints.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that safety James Ihedigbo, repped by a new agent, has at least two other teams in the mix for him besides the Lions, who seemed to be close to signing him earlier this week. The Ravens appear to be one of those two, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun notes (via Twitter).
- Wide receiver Tiquan Underwood is visiting the Panthers today, says Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The receiver-thin Panthers already signed Jerricho Cotchery today, and it “looks promising” that they could add Underwood as well.
- Richie Incognito, who is aiming to return to the NFL in 2014, believes the Raiders make “a lot of sense” as a possible destination, writes Michael Silver of NFL.com.
- Free agent defensive back Chris Owens had a visit this week with the Steelers, tweets Aaron Wilson.
- Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos tried out free agent safety Jordan Pugh.
- The Bengals have confirmed (via Twitter) that Louis Murphy visited the club today, which means the wide receiver left the meeting without a deal in place.
Panthers Sign Jerricho Cotchery
1:56pm: Cotchery’s two-year contract will be worth $5MM, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com.
1:43pm: The Panthers have officially announced their two-year deal with Cotchery in a press release.
12:01pm: Cotchery has agreed to terms with the Panthers, according to Everett Levy of Goal Line Football, Cotchery’s agency (Twitter link).
11:34am: After a week and a half of losing wide receivers in free agency, the Panthers finally appear poised to add one of their own. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the team is nearing a contract agreement with free agent receiver Jerricho Cotchery.
Cotchery, 31, has spent the last three seasons with the Steelers, and had his best season for the team in 2013, recording 46 receptions and 602 receiving yards. He also blew away his previous career high with a surprising 10 touchdown grabs. A return to Pittsburgh was a possibility for the veteran receiver, who was said to be deciding between the Steelers and Panthers earlier this week.
Assuming the Panthers and Cotchery finalize a deal, the ex-Steeler may become Carolina’s No. 1 wide receiver by default. So far this offseason, the club has released Steve Smith and seen Ted Ginn Jr., Brandon LaFell, and Domenik Hixon sign with other teams, leaving Marvin McNutt and Tavarres King atop the depth chart.
Steelers Won’t Lose Pick For Tomlin Incident
The book has been closed on an incident from 2013’s Thanksgiving night game between the Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the Steelers announced today. According to a press release from the club, the NFL has informed the Steelers that they won’t lose a draft pick for the incident.
During a kickoff return by Jacoby Jones of the Ravens, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin strayed onto the sideline and field before jumping out of Jones’ way. The league fined Tomlin $100K at the time and warned that further penalties could be forthcoming, but has decided that the fine will suffice.
Draft Rumors: Ebron, Bortles, Desir
North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron figures to be a popular man in the coming weeks and he told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’s got at least four visits lined up for himself. Ebron, a Newark, New Jersey native, will check in with the Bills, Lions, Ravens, and Panthers in April. Here’s today’s latest draft rumors..
- ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio said on air that the Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders, and Vikings have met with Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles, according to Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal (on Twitter). The signal caller participated in UCF’s pro day this afternoon.
- The Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars, Packers, Lions, and Bears attended cornerback Pierre Desir‘s pro day at Lindenwood University (Missouri), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Desir recorded 25 interceptions over the course of his career at the Division II school.
- The Browns worked out Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas individually today, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.com. Pauline says Thomas is looking more like a top 45 pick at this juncture.
- Lache Seastrunk says he has visits set up with Steelers and Bills, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Baylor running back posted the best vertical jump (41.5-inches) and broad jump (134 inches) of anyone at the draft combine in February.
- San Jose State quarterback David Fales will meet with the Vikings this weekend, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Middle Tennessee State guard Josh Walker will visit the Colts, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The standout lineman also has a visit with the Saints lined up.
FA Rumors: De La Puente, Harrison, Murphy
Brian De La Puente is arguably the best center still available in free agency, and it sounds as if he’s drawing interest from plenty of potential suitors. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the Saints, Giants, Broncos, and Patriots remain possibilities for De La Puente, who is scheduled to visit with the Redskins. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) adds that if there’s no agreement in place when the veteran center leaves Washington, more visits are expected.
Here’s more on some of the free agents still on the market:
- We already heard this week that veteran free agent James Harrison is interested in returning to the Steelers, and according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that interest is mutual.
- Having visited for two days with the Buccaneers, wide receiver Louis Murphy is scheduled to meet with the Bengals tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Giants will host free agent offensive lineman Charles Brown, tweets Adam Caplan.
- After leaving his visit with the Rams without an agreement in place, free agent quarterback Shaun Hill appears to be considering both the Rams and Lions, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Bengals confirmed (via Twitter) that free agent defensive end Robert Ayers visited with them today, which means he left that meeting without an agreement in place.
- Ravens safety Brynden Trawick is no longer an exclusive rights free agent, having signed his $495K tender from the team, tweets Aaron Wilson.
Maurice Jones-Drew Visiting Steelers
Maurice Jones-Drew is arguably the most accomplished running back among this year’s free agent class, only three years removed from leading the league in rushing in 2011. However, he hasn’t drawn a whole lot of interest so far, with a report linking him to the Jets representing the only activity on his PFR rumors page since free agency got underway.
Jones-Drew has a visit lined up to today, however, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the longtime Jaguar will meet with the Steelers. Schefter adds that Pittsburgh isn’t the only club with interest in the veteran running back, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also suggests (via Twitter) that MJD is talking to several suitors, being patient and trying to find the right fit.
Following his excellent 2011 season, in which he averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game, Jones-Drew was slowed by injuries in 2012. He appeared in 15 games in 2013, but underachieved for a subpar Jacksonville team, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, a significant drop-off from his previous career low of 4.2.
If he’s healthy and behind a solid line, Jones-Drew, who turns 29 this Sunday, should still have something left in the tank next season. But he’s accumulated a lot of mileage, and the running back market hasn’t exactly been booming this offseason, so the offers for MJD may be modest.
FA Notes: Moore, Jordan, Carrington, Ford
We heard earlier in the week that wide receiver Lance Moore would visit the Steelers today, but it sounds like that meeting will happen tomorrow instead, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter). Here’s more on a few free agents looking for jobs:
- Free agent linebacker Akeem Jordan visited with the Redskins today, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Jordan reportedly met with the Titans last week.
- The Rams remain interested in defensive lineman Alex Carrington but have yet to set up a visit, says Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- Speaking to Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link), wide receiver Jacoby Ford confirmed that the Jets have expressed interest in him. “I would say they’re the team showing the most interest in me,” Ford said. “Right now we’re still in the exploration phase, weighing things out.”
- In their search for receivers, the Jets called Emmanuel Sanders‘ camp on Saturday to try to reschedule a visit for the free agent, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets had originally scheduled a meeting for last week but had to back out due to a scheduling conflict, and by the time the team attempted to set up another one, it was too late.
- As the Cardinals consider cornerbacks like Mike Jenkins and Antonio Cromartie, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link) gets the sense that the club is waiting to see if anyone’s price tag drops.
- The Vikings have inquired on free agent defensive end Robert Ayers, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Cotchery Deciding Between Steelers, Panthers
So far this month, the only two rumors we’ve heard relating to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery suggested that the Steelers want to bring him back and that he was visiting the Panthers. So it’s appropriate that, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Cotchery’s decision on where to sign is between Pittsburgh and Carolina.
Cotchery, 31, has spent the last three seasons with the Steelers, and had his best season for the team in 2013, recording 46 receptions and 602 receiving yards. He also blew away his previous career high with a surprising 10 touchdown grabs. With Emmanuel Sanders headed to Denver, there’d likely be at least as many balls thrown Cotchery’s way in 2014 if he returned.
On the other hand, if Cotchery opted for the Panthers, he may become the team’s No. 1 receiver by default. So far this offseason, the club has released Steve Smith and seen Ted Ginn Jr., Brandon LaFell, and Domenik Hixon sign with other teams.
Cotchery, coming off a two-year, $3MM contract, left his visit with the Panthers today without a deal, which could be a sign that he’s leaning toward returning to Pittsburgh, but we’ll have to wait and see what he decides.
Jaguars Sign Tandon Doss
3:34pm: Doss’ two-year contract features base salaries worth the minimum, and includes a $65K signing bonus along with $25K annual workout bonuses, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
10:24am: The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Tandon Doss, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). Doss had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but the Ravens decided not to extend an RFA tender to him.
After seeing very limited action in his first two NFL seasons, Doss earned a bit of an expanded role in 2013. In 15 games with the Ravens, The 24-year-old grabbed 19 balls for 305 yards, and also returned 23 punts, averaging a league-best 15.6 yards per return and recording a TD.
Doss figures to provide Jacksonville some depth at receiver and could handle punt return duties as well, depending on whether the team prefers him to Ace Sanders. According to O’Halloran (via Twitter), Doss also drew interest from the Giants, Steelers, and Falcons before agreeing to terms with the Jaguars.